National Board of Review Chooses UP IN THE AIR as the Best Picture of 2009

The National Board of Review has chosen Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air as the Best Picture of 2009, but as Anne Thompson states, the National Board of Review tends to be a bellwether of where Oscar momentum is heading, but not necessarily a forecaster of where it will be. However, it’s a near-certainty that Up in the Air will be getting some Oscar nominations because not only is it in the zeitgeist (the main character Ryan Bingham fires people for a living), but it’s just a damn good film and critics agree with an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes (look for my review tonight). If you’d like a track record for the NBR, its Best Picture choice has gone on to be nominated for Best Picture Oscar nine of the past ten years (their selection of Quills in 2000 was a swing and a miss), and won the award the past two years.

George Clooney also won the NBR’s Best Actor award for Up in the Air (tied with Morgan Freeman for Invictus), Carey Mulligan won Best Actress for An Education, Woody Harrelson won Best Supporting Actor for The Messenger, Anna Kendrick won Best Supporting Actress for Up in the Air, and Clint Eastwood won Best Director for Invictus. Hit the jump for the full list of winners including the NBR’s picks for the 10 Best Films of the Year after Up in the Air.

Best Film

UP IN THE AIR

Top Ten Films

(In alphabetical order) AN EDUCATION, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, THE HURT LOCKER, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, INVICTUS, THE MESSENGER, A SERIOUS MAN, STAR TREK, UP, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

Best Foreign Language Film

A PROPHET

Top Five Foreign Films

(In alphabetical order) THE MAID, REVANCHE, SONG OF SPARROWS, THREE MONKEYS, THE WHITE RIBBON